Saturday, April 23, 2011

My ancestors didn’t serve in Australia (or New Zealand's) military forces. My grandparents were of an age where they were too young for the first world war, too old for the second. I know of many people in my broader family tree who served, but none who lost their lives. My family seems to be remarkably fortunate in that its young men came home.

This doesn't mean that they, or their families, did not suffer hardship or were unaffected by the war. Let me tell you what I have learned about Uncle Jack.

Aircraftman Leonard John Couper Lee

Leonard John Couper “Jack” Lee was my grandfather’s younger brother. Having years earlier been rejected for service (“undersized”) he enlisted with the R.A.A.F as a trainee electrician on 29 November 1940 for “the duration of the War and a period of 12 months thereafter”. Training started two weeks later, on 16 December 1940. He passed his final course on 22 August 1941 and was listed as an Electrical Fitter. His course assessment noted that he was a "Good type - young and well mannered - good appearance and speaks well."

Uncle Jack left Perth for Malaya on 10 October 1941, arriving on 20 October 1941 in the role of ground crew for R.A.A.F. No. 1 Squadron. He would have barely had time to find his feet in a Unit where it was acknowledged that efficiency and training had slipped, due to an outbreak of dysentery, before the Pacific War began.

No. 1 Squadron was the first to see action in the Pacific, shortly before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour on 8 December 1841. The Squadron was forced to relocate from Kota Bharu, Malaya to Palembang, Sumatra, as Japanese forces advanced along the Malay peninsula, and again to Semplak, Java when Japanese paratroopers landed at Palembang.

Some of the Squadron were able to be evacuated, but 180 members remained.

After weeks of heavy bombing, and exhausting relocations, Uncle Jack was taken with the rest of his unit as a prisoner of war.

The Family’s Perspective

When Uncle Jack went to war, he left behind him parents, siblings, his extended family, and his young wife. What an anxious time it must have been, particularly as news of the treatment of Japanese prisoners of war filtered back to the Australian public.

I don’t know all the information the family may have had access to, but I do know they received the following communications, copied to his R.A.A.F. casualty file.

Reported Missing – new received 13 March 1942

Dear Madam,

This letter is to confirm the telegram fromthis Department dated the 13th March, 1942, informingyou that your husband, Aircraftmen Class 1 L.J.Cooper Lee,has been reported missing as a result of the invasionof Java by the Japanese.

Although your husband has been reportedmissing he is not necessarily killed or wounded and,in view of this it may be of assistance to you inyour anxiety to know what action is taken to tracemissing members of the Air Force. I am, therefore,forwarding herewith a leaflet which gives fullinformation concerning this matter. You will seefrom the leaflet that any further informationreceived will be conveyed to you immediately.

I desire to extend to you the sinceresympathy of the Department in the anxiety you aresuffering.

Yours faithfully,

(M.C. Langslow)SECRETARY

Confirmed prisoner of war – news received 27 June 1943

Dear Madam,

I desire to confirm the telegram from this Departmentdated 27th June, 1943, informing you that your husband,Aircraftman Leonard John Cooper Lee, is a prisoner of war inJapanese hands.

This information was received from the InternationalRed Cross Committee, Geneva, quoting Tokio information.It is regretted that at present your husband’splace of internment as a prisoner of war is not known in thisDepartment.

I am forwarding herewith a leaflet which has beenissued by the Australian Red Cross Society setting out theprocedure to be followed in sending communications to prisonersof war in the Far East. Should you desire any furtherinformation regarding the method of communicating with yourhusband, it is suggested that you get in touch with theAustralian Red Cross Society, Spring Street, Melbourne, orwith any of its State bureaux.

Yours faithfully,

(M.C. Langslow)SECRETARY

Location determined – news received around end July 1943

Dear Madam,

I refer to previous communications concerning your husband, Aircraftman Leonard John Cooper Lee, who is a prisoner of war in Japanese hands.

I desire to inform you that information has now been received stating that your husband’s place of internment is in Java.

I desire to inform you that your husband’s namewas mentioned in a radio broadcast from Batavia on the 30thJune, 1944.

The enemy radio announcer gave your husbandscorrect name and also your address and a letter purportingto have come from him was transmitted over the radio. Thefollowing is the text of the letter as received in Australia :

“Dear Nora, Well another New Year is here and it findsus still separated, but I am sincerely hoping andtrusting that we will be together before the next.I wish you all the very best for your birthday ofthis month and also send birthday greetings to Bethand Mum. I have not had the good fortune to receiveany mail from you since the first lot came in, datedJune and July ‘42, but as I know you write regularlyI keep hoping and expect one of these days to receivequite a lot. I am still fairly fit and as comfortableas circumstances permit. I am working regularly eachday as a ...... and find that this helps to pass thetime away, which after all is the main thing. I sincerelyhope, sweetheart, that you are keeping well and notworrying about me. I am hoping each day for ...... andtry to see the best side of things. I hope all things athome are still running smoothly for you and that youare enjoying the best of health. Please convey my loveto Aunt Helen, Joyce and all at home and tell them notto worry as I am doing alright. Remember me to allfriends. Trusting that I will soon be home again andsending you all my love, I remain your loving husband,Jack. "

It is recommended that you should exercise somereserve in accepting the contents of the letter. This may notbe entirely authentic in as much as it emanates from an enemysource and does not come through the recognised Internationalchannels for the distribution of information concerningprisoners of war. Furthermore, the letter may have beenaltered for propaganda purposes, as it was transmitted inthe course of a Japanese propaganda programme.

Yours faithfully,

(M.C. Langslow)SECRETARY

Followed by another letter late in November 1944 advising of a similar broadcast. Some of the names mentioned are familiar to me, others not – but I haven’t researched his wife’s family. Norma’s birthday was in January so the letter was broadcast many months later. What would the family have made of this news?

Coming home – News received early October 1945

DESIRE TO ADVISE THAT YOUR HUSBAND A.C.l. LEONARD JOHN COOPER LEE EMBARKED FOR AUSTRALIA BY SEA ON THE TAMAROA ON 29TH SEPTEMBER STOP DETAILS TIME AND PLACE ARRIVAL WILL BE CONVEYED IMMEDIATELY RECEIVED

3/10/45

Four years after he left for Malaya, Uncle Jack came home to his young wife. They raised children who eventually had children of their own. He passed away in 1995. My mother told me, when I was of an age to be learning about such things at school, that he had spent four years as a Japanese prisoner of war but it was something he never spoke about. I hate to imagine what he went through during almost four years of captivity.

9 comments:

Thank you so much for posting this Shelley! I've read a few service files but never come across one who served in Malaya or was taken prisoner. It must have been heartbreaking for his family, especially reading a letter that may not have been real.Lest we forget.

Uncle Jack never spoke of his experiences. This is in comparison with my father, who served at Milne Bay, who looks back upon that time as his golden time of youth. The 'enemy' and the danger rarely come into his reminiscences.

This is excellent family tree research and your narrative does Uncle Jack proud.

I enjoyed reading your post, particularly the letters that give us such an insight into your ancestors lives and what they went through. This is the type of detail that helps us understand better the hardships of war for both those that served, and their families.

I enjoyed reading your post, particularly the letters that give us such an insight into your ancestors lives and what they went through. This is the type of detail that helps us understand better the hardships of war for both those that served, and their families.

Uncle Jack never spoke of his experiences. This is in comparison with my father, who served at Milne Bay, who looks back upon that time as his golden time of youth. The 'enemy' and the danger rarely come into his reminiscences.

This is excellent family tree research and your narrative does Uncle Jack proud.

Thanks for bringing this very human story to life. He must have had some horrifying and terrifying times. I'm pleased he came home to his family though no doubt the memories never left him. How frightening for his family hearing all the bad news and not knowing if his letters were "real" or not.